Slight Variations
by Polyjuice Princess
Summary: A Summer Internship after graduation will change everything for Kurt. New friends, experiences and circumstances. A Season 4 AU. Rated T. Not Kurt/Hunter. Established Klaine.
1. The Start

**A/N: Hello, my dears! I posted on some of my latest stories (especially on IYNoM) that I would be doing a long story. And I will stick to this story (unlike 'Sienna Riddle'). Promise! And if I don't, one of you can annoy me until I do post something!**

**Title: Slight Variations**

**Chapter: 1/?**

**Author: Polyjuice Princess**

**Rating: T (for now?)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor make any profit from these works. All recognisable content belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox.**

**Summary: ****_A Summer Internship after graduation will change everything for Kurt. New friends, experiences and circumstances. A Season 4 AU. Rated T._**

**Also, there is established Klaine, as this does run (mostly) alongside season 4 and later season 5. **

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Start**

* * *

"…Red and blue all over!"

He watched in amusement as the person across from him was overwhelmed with laughter, relaxing back in his chair after regaling her with a memory from last week. The person in question was a fiery, dark-haired girl, French in origin, with dazzling purple streaks throughout her slightly wavy he waited for her to calm down, Kurt thought about the busy day he'd had.

After arriving in New York, he'd quickly caught a cab to what was going to be his workplace for the remainder of summer. When he'd heard of the opportunity to intern at Vogue for part of the summer he'd been ecstatic. This was his _dream. _Sure, he could go on and on about his future of rising to fame on Broadway, but he'd been extremely realistic, and come to the conclusion that the one thing he loved more than performing had been his clothes, and others' clothes. As his catchphrase said, "Every moment in life is an opportunity for fashion". The internship had been extremely competitive and only ten students, from both High School and College, had been accepted. He could only feel lucky.

Once he'd finished admiring the interior of the building, he picked up his orientation package, which held his flat assignment (right across the road), the program's timetable, and all the extra bits of information necessary. Almost straight away, he'd met his roommates, Sarah Moreau and Jake Martin.

Sarah, the girl currently laughing on the couch, was 19, a few months older than him, and used to live in West Virginia before moving to New York at the beginning of summer. Jake was 20; a sophomore at Parsons who'd thought it best to get some real-life experience before continuing in the industry.

Currently though, the three of them were getting to know each other, sitting comfortably on the lounge, Sarah settling down to giggles, Jake grinning wildly and Kurt feeling accomplished. He had been telling them about one the last times he saw all of the New Directions together, and Puck had tried to pull a prank on everyone, a rainfall of slush, tipped from buckets onto each member, yet, being quite a bit more observant than Puck had expected, they'd quickly caught onto his grand plan and moved the buckets so that they fell on Puck in one massive torrent instead. Being the mastermind of the plan against Puck, he'd suffered 5 minutes full of being tickled to death. It'd been worth it in the long run though, as Puck had been absolutely drowned in blue and red slush, skin multicoloured for days.

Once they calmed down enough, Jake started a story about how he had tried to woo a girl he'd just met, only to find out she was happily in a relationship with their mutual friend, Emily…

* * *

The air was warm when he woke up. After glancing around the room in confusion, he gained his bearings, remembering how he'd gotten here. As soon as he did though, a grin lit up his face. He was in New York!

He took in his room, having been too tired the night before to really appreciate any of it. The walls were a soft blue, with a bold painting on the wall in front of him. It was made up of abstract yellow and black lines. Kurt padded softly into the kitchen, taking note of where each room was on the way. The kitchen space was gorgeous, spacious surface areas for preparing food and a large fridge in the corner, already stocked with food. There was an expensive-looking coffee machine sitting on one of the counters, and Kurt gravitated towards it, eager for his morning cup of coffee.

"So, I was thinking that we should name this place," a voice started behind him. Kurt jumped in surprise. He'd thought he was alone. Looking behind him, he saw Sarah. "Like, I don't want to call this place 'The Apartment' or whatever, you know?"

It was actually a pretty good idea. "How about 'Base', since we'll be coming back here a lot."

Sarah seemed pleased, her smile widening. "Ooh! What if all us interns referred to this building as base, and each apartment could have like, a name, or a number…"

"Yeah," he smiled, "We should talk to the others when we see them later."

At that moment, Jake came into the kitchen, hair wet from a shower and jeans hung on his hips. "Mornin', what're you talkin' 'bout?"

Sarah and Kurt shared an appreciative smile. He took a sip of his coffee and let her explain.

* * *

"My name is Isabelle Wright, but you can all just call me Isabelle. After all, we'll be spending a lot of time together over the next weeks." Their supervisor, Isabelle, seemed like a warm, motherly person, Kurt thought. They'd been ushered into a small conference room after arriving, and had been going through introductions and procedures for a few minutes. All the others in the program were at least mildly friendly, all with creative eyes and eager faces. It was amazing how everyone who got in really did want to be here, and knew how lucky they were to be present.

After all the necessary information was given, Isabelle led them on a tour of the building, which included meeting some semi-famous designers, getting an insight into current projects, and (very exclusively) sneaking a peek into the Vogue Vault, something many of the interns had been dreaming of since they understood the prestige of Vogue.

While they walked back to the conference room, Isabelle also briefed them on the first part of their internship. Workshops. Workshops with actual designers. Kurt was in heaven. Being here was his dream, and he had to keep the grin off his face, in place was a slightly (or quite full-on) amazed smile.

* * *

Just after noon was their lunch break, and they were free to roam New York for food, a task which they found quite easy with the amount of cafés and restaurants around the area. Kurt stuck with Sarah and a few of the others for lunch, eating at a cute little Italian bistro.

On the way back to Vogue, Kurt was focused on the conversation (Vuitton vs. Hilfiger) and was blind to an incoming person. As he fell, he braced himself for the impact of hard pavement, but strong arms caught him before he got that far.

"I am _so _sorry!"

"No, it's fine, I wasn't looking where I was going…" Kurt stared at the boy who caught him, well, more like man. Tendrils of short brown hair curled over his forehead, escaping the red beanie. A grey Henley revealed toned arms and firm chest.

Kurt realised too late that he was staring, and that Sarah was giggling beside him. He shot her a look, but that only made the mystery man grin (rather cutely) down at him. The few inches taller was appealing, especially considering a large amount of guys he'd liked in the past were taller than him. This fact had circled his brain time and time again, especially considering the height of his first, and current, boyfriend, Blaine.

Right, he had a boyfriend. Shaking his head minutely, Kurt took a step back from the handsome stranger.

"Alright, then?" And a nice voice, now that he payed attention. Smooth, like a perfect coffee.

"Yeah… Sorry I ran into you though."

"It's fine, not every day I stumble across such a beautiful person." The stranger winked. More giggles erupted off to the side. Pink blazed across Kurt's cheeks, he repressed his own giggles.

"I'm Kurt…"

"Hunter, nice to make your acquaintance." They shook hands, possibly holding on too long for someone with a boyfriend. "Sadly, I've got to dash, on a coffee run. I have a feeling I'll see you very soon, Kurt."

A wink and then Hunter was gone.

* * *

Upon returning to the office, Kurt was still partly flustered. And conflicted. Because, again, he had a boyfriend. And it wouldn't do to fancy an almost-stranger miles away from the love of his life.

Back in the conference room, they were split into small groups to do a bit of brainstorming and idea creation. When Isabelle got to Kurt's group, she looked at him before smiling for a split second. Before he could ask, she was gone, and he was pulled back into an idea about fur-striped jeans.

* * *

True to his word, Kurt ran into Hunter again. The next day.

If only he knew the drama that this meeting would be catalyst to.

* * *

**A/N: Review?**


	2. The End?

**A/N: Here is more! Sorry for the delay.**

**Title: Slight Variations**

**Chapter: 2/?**

**Author: Polyjuice Princess**

**Rating: T (for now)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor make any profit from these works. All recognisable content belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox.**

**Summary: ****_A Summer Internship after graduation will change everything for Kurt. New friends, experiences and circumstances. A Season 4 AU. Rated T._**

**NOTE: There is established Klaine, as this does run (mostly) alongside season 4 and later season 5.**

**A MORE IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a massive TIME SKIP in this chapter. Many plot points will be featured in flashbacks and references further down the track. AND - most chapters from here on in, spare a few, will be relatively short, as this is really just a series of snapshots into the _Variations _of life, with Hunter and Kurt knowing each other. **

* * *

**Chapter 2 - The End?**

* * *

Hunter had been different all week.

They'd usually be able to talk and joke together _so easily_, but this week, there had been an edge to Hunter. Kurt wasn't really sure what it was, but there was something different about him lately. There was only about two weeks left of summer, and he knew that it'd be different afterwards. They hadn't actually talked about what was happening next, they had just wanted to spend every available moment together, having fun.

The fact that they may be far apart after the next few weeks scared Kurt more than he'd like to admit.

He'd grown used to being around Hunter practically 24/7. Not having him around would make for a startling change, he was sure. Not knowing what would happen had made him anxious this last week as well. It wasn't as noticeable as whatever had been happening with Hunter, though.

He'd contemplated asking Isabelle what was up, but had a feeling that she would just tell him to talk to Hunter.

Currently though, he was making his way downstairs to his and Hunter's usually meeting place. Hunter hadn't come in to Vogue that day, texting him something about spending some time with Callum and meeting up later. He wouldn't begrudge him the time, knowing that having Hunter to himself was a bit selfish. But, the fact that Hunter found it important to get in some more time to see his brother had set off alarm bells in his head. It could only mean that Hunter would be leaving New York.

* * *

He wasn't avoiding Kurt, per se. He just didn't know how to break the news to him.

They only had two more weeks together. He had yet to tell Kurt his plans for after that, as it had become an unspoken agreement to not speak of the future and live in the now.

He'd spent the day hanging around Callum. He'd tried to ask for help, but all he'd gotten was a "Just tell him already" which, in retrospect, was probably the best advice, but all he could feel was anxious to see Kurt again. It felt like admitting that he wouldn't be around Kurt anymore made it so much more real. Only a week ago, Aunt Belle had asked him his opinion on Kurt wanting a job after the summer. Knowing that Kurt would say yes, she'd put the idea away and focused on his obviously downhearted thoughts of leaving Kurt.

The only advice she'd given him mirrored Callum's almost exactly. He'd almost thought the two were in cahoots; they had been talking more than usual…

Hunter checked the time - _4:08 - _just as he entered the reception of Vogue. Right, he had two minutes before Kurt would come downstairs.

* * *

Seeing Hunter across the room was fascinating. You could pinpoint the time he realised Kurt had arrived, surprise then dread before settling on happiness. 'Well,' Kurt thought, 'whatever Hunter has to tell me is bad then…'

* * *

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Kurt suggested.

Hunter looked startled before nodding and leading the way through the workers milling near the entrance.

"Central Park, then?" Hunter gestured in the general direction of the place. Kurt had found it surprisingly close to the Vogue building in his first week. Glancing skywards, it seemed like a slightly cloudy day, but he was sure it wouldn't rain on them.

* * *

'Crap, what am I going to say! I can't believe I didn't think about this first!' Hunter's palms began to sweat. 'So, I'm leaving? No, that's terrible. Umm…'

They walked in silence for a few minutes as Hunter thought. Kurt on the other hand was mildly amused and more than a little worried. What was Hunter going to say?

* * *

They sat on a bench, watching the other pedestrians and avoiding the other's gaze.

"Okay, I'm just going to say it! I'm leaving…" Hunter faltered. Kurt had pinned him with his glasz eyes, flooded with the emotion he shut from his face. He nodded encouragingly.

"Oh, I've known that for weeks now. Where are you going?" His high voice was unusually soft, his voice cracking mid-sentence.

"Interstate. Ohio, to be specific." Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, I know, that's where you're from. I thought I might meet some people you knew."

"Wow, alright. But Ohio's pretty big, so the chances of you seeing anyone I knew is slim."

"Well, from what you told me once, you'll definitely have met the people there. I'm going to Westerville. Dalton Academy for Boys. My parents wanted somewhere that was structured to the point of lunacy and somewhat out of the way." Kurt snorted at 'structured'. With all the impromptu performances and general craziness he'd witnessed while there, he could vouch that the 'structure' was just for snooty parents.

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe this. That's the _same _school!" Hunter's look said that he knew that, thanks. "Alright then… The guys there are all amazing. It's fun and crazy in all the best ways." Kurt's tone took on a reminiscent quality. His time at Dalton hadn't been as bad as he'd let people believe.

"Not that I'm very _happy _that you've got to leave, but at least it's somewhere as awesome as that. I get the feeling you'll get along with Sebastian," Kurt paused for thought, "and maybe Thad. Yeah, with your military background, definitely Thad."

Hunter was just glad Kurt hadn't taken it too badly.

* * *

Two weeks later and they were standing at the airport. After tearful goodbyes to Sarah and Jake and many other interns the day before, with many promises to keep contact, Kurt and Hunter were waiting for the same plane to Columbus, Ohio. It was ironic really, as Kurt had thought the last he'd see Hunter was going to be days ago. Isabelle had mentioned something vague about him coming back one day (which, to everyone but Kurt, was very soon). But Kurt had wanted to visit everyone before starting any jobs or courses. As Hunter was flying out as well, they'd resolved to go together and spend the maximum amount of time together before inevitably parting.

The procedure at Dalton was that all the boarders could move in a week before school actually started. An idea that became a blessing for some with more unfortunate family situations. Or if they were just bored as the end of holidays grew dauntingly close. It was an especially good thing for new students (mainly freshmen) so that they could become familiar with the school and the daily life of a boarder. As Kurt was staying for just over a week, he'd promise to help Hunter move in. And it was a chance to see all his old friends again (like most of the Warblers, hell, even Sebastian). And for Kurt, it was a beautiful opportunity to see his family, the people he'd only contacted through emails, texts and short but lively phone calls.

* * *

Hunter and Kurt had just finished setting up Hunter's somehow single dorm when a yell from down the hallway halted their walk to the entrance hall.

"Kurtie!"

Said boy's eyes widened, "Oh no."

He was quickly tackled to the ground and squeezed within an inch of his life by an enthusiastic blond. "Jeff! How's my favourite ball of energy?" He was happy to see him, even though his hair was messed up.

"Get off him, 6."

"Aw, fine."

Nick had stood back to watch the spectacle fondly. He too hugged Kurt, once he was upright. "Good to see you, little bird."

Jeff interrupted the moment, "Wait, why are you here?" As eyebrows were raised, he backpedalled, "I _mean _aren't you graduated and in the large fishbowl of life, where you have to fend for yourself and live off of-"

"Jeff." Before the blond could go off on a tangent about the adventure of 'after-Dalton' life, Nick had cut him off.

Kurt cleared his throat. "I'm actually here to help someone else move in to the dorms. Jeff, Nick, meet Hunter Clarington. Hunter, meet Jeff '6' Sterling and Nick '3' Duval."

* * *

"Wait, was that Sebastian?"

They'd been lounging in one of the many common rooms, catching Hunter up on all the drama and background necessary for Dalton, when a small group of boys passed by the door.

They paused their conversation as Kurt leapt to his feet. "I need to talk to him!" He rushed after him, calling out as he went further down he corridor.

Hunter tilted his head to the side, "Hold on, Sebastian as in 'The Meerkat-faced CW-haired Sebastian'?"

The two boys traded looks before grinning and turning back to Hunter. "Yeah, that one."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and the three boys were feeling a bit apprehensive. They hadn't seen Kurt and Sebastian for a while and were beginning to think something bad had happening. Especially considering their background.

They searched out Kurt's favourite spots, underneath one of the many trees in the Dalton 'forest' (which was really just a small garden with a few trees). Kurt's favourite tree was the one that shaded Pavarotti's grave. The two boys were sitting shoulder to shoulder on a stone bench, heads bent together as though they could only just hear each other.

The three watched in silence.

* * *

"Thanks for talking to me…"

"I owe you this much. I have changed you know."

"You don't owe me anything." When a disbelieving look was sent his way, he put on a determined face. "Really! You've redeemed yourself, in everyone's eyes… Even Blaine, even if Blaine can have demented standards sometimes." Kurt muttered the last part, mind cast back to the Whitney Week Incident.

"I feel like there's a story there, but I won't ask 'cause it sounds like it hurt."

Kurt huffed a small laugh. "You're right." They were silent for a while. "Who'd have thought, two years ago, that we'd be sitting here, all friendly like?"

"We're friends." Sebastian said it with a kind of certainty that made Kurt smile one of his rarer smiles, the ones he reserved for Hunter and his dad. "Also, I knew. That we'd end up here. From the moment I saw you, I knew we'd end up together, even if it was just on this bench."

They chuckled together for a moment before basking in the sun. "No you didn't, you doofus."

Kurt leaned into Sebastian's side, causing Sebastian to look down at him. Kurt admitted something that had been haunting him since they'd gotten on good terms the year before, "You know… If it wasn't for Blaine, I'd definitely be going after you."

Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows, mind reeling. "I wouldn't be good for you."

"Not then, no. But now… It could've worked."

"But Blaine." It was a reason loud and clear. They stared at each other for a while.

"Yeah."

There was a small rustling from the entrance of the garden. Sebastian spied three figures out of the corner of his eye. "They're here. Probably checking on you." He paused. "Wait, who's that cute one, on the right?"

Kurt smirked, "That, my meerkat-like friend, is Hunter Clarington. He's new. We met in New York. I was actually thinking that you guys would get along well, what with you being a flirt and him being a steel wall to come-ons."

"Ha. Challenge accepted, my coiffed porcelain doll."

* * *

**A/N: There we go, another chapter! Next one will feature Kurt back in New York and the inner workings of Vogue.**

**Review. **


	3. The Return

**A/N - This is quite a bit late, but I was all the way over in Germany, so I didn't have the time to post anything much. But I did write lots, so here you go. Sorry it's a bit short, but I did warn you about that.**

**Title: Slight Variations**

**Chapter: 3/?**

**Author: Polyjuice Princess**

**Rating: T (for now)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor make any profit from these works. All recognisable content belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox.**

**Summary: ****_A Summer Internship after graduation will change everything for Kurt. New friends, experiences and circumstances. A Season 4 AU. Rated T._**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Return**

* * *

**3\. The Return**

Kurt wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

To put the matter shortly, something was happening with Blaine. When he'd visited the Anderson house that afternoon, Blaine's brother Cooper had also been there. Apparently he'd taken a break from his newest infomercial to come and see Blaine once more before school. They'd been excited to see each other all summer, their nights full of emails, calls and Skype dates. But when they finally saw each other, Blaine had seemed high-strung and tetchy. The difference between this Blaine and the one who'd whispered sweet nothings through the phone a week ago was notable. Kurt had known better than to probe.

After that awkward experience, he'd gone over to Mercedes' house to see how her college preparations were going. She'd gotten into UCLA and was close to securing a contract for an indie label. They'd traded stories of the summer and he'd spilled on all the people he'd met (mainly Hunter) and the places he'd been to. When she asked what he was doing next, he'd hesitated. For a few minutes. But then she changed the subject and he was reminded of why they were so close.

Arriving home that night, Kurt hugged his dad, because at least that was the same. And he spent the night watching _X-Men_ with Finn, knowing that they hadn't really seen much of each other in the last few months.

Just as the credits were rolling, he felt his phone begin to vibrate. Glancing beside him, he could see that Finn was asleep, so he walked into the kitchen to take the call.

"Hello?"

There was a lot of background noise, which seemed to be just idle chatter. Some of the voices sounded vaguely familiar in his sleepy brain but he couldn't recognise any singular voice. After a few seconds, the person on the other end finally spoke up.

"Kurt! I was scared I wouldn't be able to get a hold of you at this hour!" It was Isabelle. He jolted in partial surprise. He hadn't been expecting a call from any New Yorkers for at least a couple weeks, and even then, only from Sarah or Jake.

"Isabelle? How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He could almost see her waving his question away. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you something. How would you like to come back to Vogue?"

"Well, I was thinking of coming back to New York and find some work, but yeah, I could come visit."

"Oh, I was actually hoping that you could come and work here…"

"My gosh, Isabelle. I- Do you really think-"

"As in, full-time. And paid."

"Oh, you don't have to sell me on working for Vogue, I'm definitely coming!"

"Really? Thank you so much! We've been trying to find some fresh faces for our design team."

* * *

"Rachel, it seems like I'm coming with you to New York!"

* * *

**A/N - Remember to review!**


	4. The Apartments

**A/N - And another chapter! Again, quite short.**

* * *

**Title: Slight Variations**

**Chapter: 4/?**

**Author: Polyjuice Princess**

**Rating: T (for now)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor make any profit from these works. All recognisable content belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox.**

**Summary: ****_A Summer Internship after graduation will change everything for Kurt. New friends, experiences and circumstances. A Season 4 AU. Rated T._**

**NOTE: There is established Klaine, as this does run (mostly) alongside season 4 and later season 5.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – The Apartments **

* * *

The sun shone through one of the many windows lining their new apartment. Kurt and Rachel had begun to unpack their clothes and the small amount of furniture they had. They'd found a place relatively quickly considering how unsure Kurt had been about where he wanted to go after school, even after the Vogue work.

Sitting on his bed, Kurt had looked at the empty walls surrounding him, remembering the abstract distraction that used to sit in front of him. 'Maybe I'll go visit the Base again…' he thought. At that moment, he could hear Rachel clashing around in the kitchen, probably trying to find places for all their cookware. Bouncing off his bed, he made his way through the unfamiliar halls towards the noise.

He found his new flatmate standing in a maze of pots and utensils. He thought about laughing at her situation, but knew that it would only end in a stony glare. Instead, he stood next to her and observed the cupboards. There was a particularly large one under the stove. He began to pack in the pots, stopping every now and then to look back at Rachel, who had stopped and perched herself on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"You're welcome," he said, turning to go and finish his original task of unpacking his clothes.

"Wait!" Kurt pivoted mid-step, turning with an air of expectance.

"Let's make cookies!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later and the pair were finally putting the cookies into the oven. Running his hand through his hair, Kurt pulled out plumps of chocolate, flour and egg. Their baking had quickly turned into a food fight and the kitchen had been truly christened.

Chiming rang through the flat as Kurt remembered that he'd asked Sarah over to catch up and so she could meet Rachel. Too late did he realise how horrible he must look. Sarah had seen him this messy before, but it was hardly a good environment for a first meeting.

He didn't bother to clean up anything before jogging to their big, wooden front door. With more effort than he thought it would take, he slid the door to the left. Standing there was an impeccably dressed (as always) Sarah. He watched her face as she took in the sight before her: him with wrecked clothes, hair full of ingredients and a face caked in flour. Rachel in the background, probably having realised they had a guest, was cleaning herself up hurriedly. Yes, it must've looked _quite _funny.

And after Sarah left, and the kitchen was cleaned up, Kurt sat with Rachel on the couch, watching _Phantom of the Opera, _and realised that now, this was home.


End file.
